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FOLKDJ-L Posting Guidelines

Remember and respect our focus: discussion of issues about the presentation of folk and bluegrass music on the radio.

Keep your messages as brief as possible.

When replying to messages, ask yourself if your missive is something the whole list (over 800 people) needs to read. Take care to avoid replying to the list if you really desire to reply to an individual.

When replying to messages, ask yourself if your missive is something the whole list (over 800 people) needs to read. Take care to avoid replying to the list if you really desire to reply to an individual. If you've somehow managed to reply to the list when in fact you meant to reply to the original poster, no apology is necessary -- we've all made that mistake before and we know your face is red. Your apology would add to the clutter, and there's simply no need to remind everyone you've screwed up!

If you read the digest version of folkdj-l and wish to join in on a discussion, please remember to change the Subject: field of your message to that of the original message. That's because a subject line like "Re: FOLKDJ-L Digest - 27 Oct 2003 to 28 Oct 2003 - Special issue" isn't very descriptive of the important point you are making.

If you represent an artist or group, folk DJs want to know about you! It's entirely proper to send a short note telling us about your project. It's best to simply note the availability of a CD and briefly describe its style or content and solicit private replies. As a general rule, hyperbole and gushing is frowned upon on folkdj-l. If your artist is planning a tour, a very short message noting the geographic regions being covered would be appropriate, not an entire itinerary. (There are other, more suitable places on the net to post and find information about concerts and tours. Musi-Cal for example, is an excellent free service.) Whatever you're promoting, it's always best to refer the reader to a web page or ask for private mail so you may disseminate all the details. Private email should be sent to individual DJs to thank them for playing your CD, rather than sending a collective thank you note to the list.

There is no rule six.

If you are promoting an event, take a moment to consider the audience you're reaching on folkdj-l. Our 800+ subscribers hail from all the corners of the earth, and most are unlikely to be interested in an event more than a couple hundred kilometers from home. Thus, event notices are inappropriate on our list. This includes announcements of showcases at events such as the international and regional Folk Alliance conferences. On the other hand, if your gig promotion includes airfare and accommodations for every DJ who wishes to attend, feel free to post it on folkdj-l. Send the airline tickets to the DJs through private mail, though.

DJs, we want to read your playlists! If your message is a playlist, please use the word "playlist" somewhere in the subject header to accommodate subscribers who filter playlists to a special mailbox. There is no standard format to use when posting your show's playlists... but it's strongly suggested you pick a format that works for you and stick with it (this is to allow your airplay data to be machine-collected and reported as part of our monthly airplay summary). And it is vitally important to include your station's name and location, the time your show airs, artist names, and album and song titles. Many DJs find label information handy, too. If you have the time, a few comments about the program or some of the music you played is welcome, as we're always looking for why you played a particular song or set. Also, Post your messages in plain text, not HTML.

Attachments (such as photographs, .mp3 files, war3z, spreadsheets and the like) can not be distributed to the list, and will be blocked by Listserv.

Please don't ask the list for a subscriber's email address or other personal information. Instead, check the archives to find the address (if that person has posted to folkdj-l within the past couple years). Otherwise, keep an accurate and up-to-date address book of everyone with whom you correspond. If you need contact info for someone you suspect is not subscribed to folkdj-l, ask for private replies, for that person's privacy's sake.

If you are looking for song topic suggestions, ask for private replies, and it'll be up to you to summarize your findings to the list. Be prepared to make two or three summaries, as readers will invariably think of songs that aren't on your first list. Remember, if someone asks for song help, listmembers with ideas are supposed to send their replies privately to the original requester, who then compiles and shares the summary. The important exception is when you have something to say about a particular song, be it background information, an anecdote, a tale of personal involvement, historical perspective, useless trivia or whatever, please be encouraged to say it on folkdj-l. In other words -- discussion: yes!

As a matter of ethics (and politeness) (and law), it is inappropriate to post copyright-protected materials on folkdj-l, whether they be song lyrics, newspaper stories about folk radio, or whatever. Should you happen across a story that you believe would be of interest to the DJs of folkdj-l, rather than distributing the story in a folkdj-l message, please send a link to the story on the news source website. If you own the copyright (or have express permission of the copyright holder), your on-topic feature may be posted on folkdj-l.

FOLKDJ-L is a vibrant, diverse community of people who share the common goal of advocating high-quality folk and acoustic music on the radio. If you feel your message would enhance the well-being of our community, post it!